The Cold Email Formula That Gets Me a 70% Response Rate

Hey there,

Is there anything more demoralizing than pouring your heart into a beautifully crafted cold email, only to be met with crickets?

You slave over the subject line, agonize over the hook, include just the right amount of social proof and personality… and then, nothing. Silence. No reply.

It's enough to make you want to swear off cold outreach altogether. But here's the thing: When done right, cold email can be an incredibly powerful tool for landing your dream clients.

The key is to ditch the gimmicks and get back to basics. At a recent CTOx meetup, we swapped our hard-won lessons on what really moves the needle when it comes to cold outreach.

Here's the formula that's been netting me a 70%+ response rate lately:

1. Make it insanely personal. No, I don't mean inserting merge tags. I mean doing your research and referencing something specific about their business, their recent content, or a mutual connection. Show you've done your homework.

2. Lead with value. Don't make your first touch all about you and what you do. Instead, share an insight, article, or resource that's genuinely useful to them. Position yourself as a generous giver, not a self-interested taker.

3. Get to the point. Busy people don't have time for long-winded intros or vague overtures. Be direct about why you're reaching out and what you're hoping to achieve. If you sell fire extinguishers, ask if they've got any fires that need putting out.

4. Make a clear ask. Don't leave them guessing about next steps. Suggest a specific day and time for a call. Or ask a pointed question that prompts a response. The easier you make it for them to say "yes," the more likely they are to do so.

5. Follow up (without being a pest). The fortune is in the follow up. But there's a fine line between being persistent and being annoying. Space your touches out, and always add value. I like to think of each follow up as a new opportunity to be helpful, not a plea for attention.

And here's a bonus tip from one of my longtime friends Dean Jackson. It's called the "9-Word Email," and it's devastatingly effective for reviving seemingly dead leads:

Subject Line: Quick question, [Prospect's Name] 

Email Body: 

[Prospect's Name],

Are you still looking for a fractional CTO? 

[Your Name]

That's it. No fancy formatting, no long explanations. Just a simple, direct question that begs a response.

Swap the question out as appropriate; for example: “Are you still planning to integrate AI in 2024?”

Notice what I haven’t mentioned? 

Fancy design, elaborate personalization, or any whiff of a bait-and-switch. 

The best cold emails are the ones that read like a note from a knowledgeable friend - concise, conversational, and hyper-relevant.

Of course, this assumes you're targeting the right people with the right offer in the first place. (Refer back to my previous emails on niching down and positioning yourself in a hungry market!)

But if you know you can truly help the person on the other end of the send button, you owe it to them – and to yourself – to reach out.

Just keep it real, keep it brief, and keep it focused on them. The replies, and the relationships, will follow.

What's your #1 cold email tip? Reply back and share the subject line or opener that gets you the most enthusiastic responses. 

Happy sending,
Lior

Lior Weinstein
Founder & Head Coach, CTOx

P.S. Want to take your cold email game to the next level? As a CTOx Accelerator member, you get access to CTOx Faculty like Abbi Perets, a cold email specialist who other professional copywriters pay well into the 5 figures for a single email sequence. She teaches our community and reviews their cold emails as a membership benefit. It's just one more way we're committed to helping you land your dream clients.